vacation highlights

June 12th (day before my trip) was a day filled with so much stuff. I went to work and then spent the rest of my day running errands, and ensuring that anything needed to be done before I left was done. I didn't make it to bed until clost to midnight, which was a bad move given that I had to be up VERY early.


June 13
Got up at 3:00 am to be showered, dressed, and out the door by 3:30. Fortunately, the airport is about 15-20 minutes from my house, so the rush was minimal. Arrived at the airport only to see that TSA hadn't opened the security gate and didn't until about 4:10am, which kind of ticked me off because I could have arrived about 4:30am instead of 3:45am. Checked in and waited at the gate for the overpriced cafe to open. I was red-eyed and hungry and grabbed a bagel and coffee before my flight. Plane boarded @ 5:45am and we were taking off @ 6:00am instead of 6:15am as scheduled. I was knocked out no sooner I sat down.


Arrived in Fort Lauderdale @ 8:20am, called Zay and sent the necessary txts to let folk know I was safe on the first leg of my trip. Zay and I sat and chilled for a while until he had to go back to work and I waited for my next flight.


I called my ride in Jamaica (hereon referred to as JA) to let him know I was boarding and what time he needed to be at the airport. I boarded, ate another snack (altitude makes me hungry), and was again asleep for the hour-twenty minute flight. Upon landing, I sent the "I'm safe" txts, did the customs dance, got my luggage, and cleared the last customs checkpoint. I grabbed another snack and a drink and did the "I'm okay, I have a ride" dance with the taxi drivers all anxious to get another fare for the day.


My ride arrived late, got promptly fussed at and then I was off. Pix of the view leaving the airport...











Yes, there's a Harley Davidson store in Jamaica. (though I'm yet to see a Harley there...lol) In fact, there's two; this one and one in the airport.













Arrived at Dad's, ate, showered, and hung out on the veranda for a while. My stepmum has prepared fried fish for me because she knows I need my food after flying and ate a some until it was time for dinner. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and talking. There was a heavy rain that evening, which played a huge role in my falling asleep early and enjoying a restful night.

June 14th
Went to a wedding, which I really didn't want to go to, but protocol dictated. The wedding started an hour and ten minutes late, which infuriated both dad and I as we're very punctual people and there was no excuse for a 2:00pm wedding starting that late. It had rained, but the limo was stopping directly in front of the church steps and the bride would be covered in order to come into the church, so it's not like she'd have gotten drenched or anything. *sheesh!*


After the ceremony, we were off to the reception and of course that too would now start late due to the late ceremony and the wedding pix needing to be taken. The food was cold by the time it was served and I'd already plotted my escape in the event dad/stepmum weren't ready to leave. My dad had been tasked to bless the wedding cake and at luck would have it, my ride arrived just as he'd finished his little speech. I broke camp and headed back to the house.

Negril Hills Golf Club...site of the reception


















Dad, Me and Stepmum (she's da bess!)





















I showered and changed into comfy clothes and my friend and I chilled on the veranda listening to my iPod until the rents got home.

June 15th

At breakfast, presented dad with a Father's Day (my first). We chit-chatted and then they went off to church. I didn't go because I'd forgotten to bring a church appropriate outfit, so I went to work with my friend until they got back home. He works for a floral company that is contracted to provide the flowers for weddings and also for each of the Sandals/Beeches Resorts between Negril, Whitehouse, and Montego Bay.

Me and Andrea (his coworker) who'd just completed creating this masterpiece. Why am I holding someone's bridal bouquet? *lol*

I got the property tour of Sandals Negril, which is absolutely beautiful. (will post more pix later)

After leaving Negril, we went to Sandals Whitehouse, which is an absolutely stellar spot. I plan to stay there one of these days. View from the the lobby facing the ocean.

More details and pix next post.

Love!